I knew what was in each stocking except mine, of course. Hunter had done that one, and I couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for me.
I nearly broke a nail in my enthusiasm to open it. The two of us sat next to the tree, inspecting the gifts. I’d gotten him a set of cuff links—a little something to remind him of me when he was at work. He’d gotten us plane tickets. We were going to the Maldives again, where we’d fallen in love. He didn’t know how to do things any other way except on a grand scale.
He grinned when I looked up at him, then held his palms up in defense. We were leaving at the end of February.
“You said things move slowly in the industry around then,” he said.
I threw my head back, laughing. He’d asked me that out of the blue one evening while we were relaxing in the Jacuzzi. I should have known it wasn’t just a random question.
“Sneaky husband. What will I do with you? Thank you for the tickets. I can’t wait to go. I’m going to book a scuba diving instructor as soon as I get a chance.”
“For me too.”
I felt my eyes widen. “Wow. You want to come again? Wasn’t expecting it.”
“Can’t let the instructor steal you, can I?”
“Really? That old excuse again? Why not just admit you liked it?”
“Might give you ideas.”
“You mean more than I already have?”
He smiled devilishly, pulling me just behind the tree and out of sight, giving me a kiss that was definitely not PG-rated.
Once he let go, I sighed, snuggling up to him, just breathing him in for a few moments, right until, Ryker said loudly, “We know you’re there, FYI.”
Grinning like Cheshire cats, we stepped out from behind the tree. Everyone besides Ryker was minding their own business, enjoying the presents.
“I think we did great with the gifts,” I whispered to Hunter.
“That’s because my wife’s a genius.” He pulled me in a half hug, kissing my temple, which was innocent enough... except for that hand on my back that kept traveling south. I pushed him away playfully, shaking my head.
He always said I was the one with ideas, but he could top me when he put his mind to it. He grinned at me, lifting a brow. I loved our first Christmas as husband and wife, and I couldn’t wait for the rest.
***
The end